Churchill was ready to sign Hollywood deal in wartime

By Chris Hastings

12:00AM BST 09 Jul 2000

WINSTON CHURCHILL considered cashing in on his wartime popularity during the dark days of 1941 by selling the film rights of his autobiography to Hollywood.

Documents discovered by The Telegraph show that the then prime minister was attracted by a six-figure sum from Warner Bros, which wanted to turn his book Early Life into an adventure film. The studio approached Churchill in 1941 when Britain was fighting alone against Adolf Hitler.

Warner Bros tried to exploit Churchill's friendship with President Roosevelt by getting the United States leader's son James, a film producer, to lobby Downing Street. The documents suggest that Churchill was keen initially to sell the rights but changed his mind after representations from one of his most trusted advisers.

The fact that he was willing to consider taking the money during Britain's hour of need will surprise many. Papers found in the Public Record Office show that Churchill was talked out of the plan by Brendan Bracken, the then minister of information and one of his closest friends.

In a confidential letter to Churchill dated April 1941 Bracken wrote: "James Roosevelt is a tricky creature. He was working with one of the big film companies in Hollywood but he announced his intention of giving up the job in order to serve in America's armed forces. He is now a colonel of the marines, but his martial duties do not seem to interfere with his business activities. I do not see how he can be prevented from making the film. But I think that it should be made clear that you have not seen the script, nor do you approve the making of this film. A film of your life that can be advertised as approved by you will of course make a lot of money for Mr Roosevelt."

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Bracken had earlier told Churchill that he had been approached by Warner Bros, which was willing to offer up to £100,000 for the film rights. Churchill had replied to this overture by writing: "I would gladly sell them." Bracken, in his later correspondence, however, said: "I imagine young Mr Roosevelt knows about these [the Warner Bros'] approaches and wishes to profit from his father's connection with you."

Rejecting Roosevelt's advances may have been difficult for Churchill, who at the time was struggling to get America into the war. The American president's son was so confident of talking Churchill into the project that he hired a script writer and even consulted Orson Welles, who had just become the talk of Hollywood with the release of Citizen Kane.

Last night, however, Winston Churchill's grandson, who shares his name, said he was not aware of any approach. He conceded that Churchill might have considered selling the film rights because he thought it would have been a good propaganda move. Mr Churchill said: "I think the important thing to remember is that he didn't sell the film rights at this stage." He said: "This was one of the bleakest moments of the war and he had more important things on his mind. We were fighting on our own and we were fighting for our lives."

Sir Martin Gilbert, the historian, who has written the definitive biography of the wartime leader, said: "Churchill trusted Bracken and they were both very close. Before the war he had always handled the prime minister's financial and literary affairs. It would be surprising if his advice had not been taken on board."

The film rights to Early Life, which chronicles Churchill's time at Harrow and Sandhurst in addition to his early military adventures in Cuba, South Africa and India, were subsequently sold in 1950. Churchill's book formed the basis of the 1972 film Young Winston, which starred Simon Ward. Bracken, later Viscount Bracken, died in 1958. James Roosevelt lived until 1991.